Pros

Small and agile.

Beginner and Agility flying modes.

Transmits live video feed.

Lots of fun.

Cons

Remote controller and FPV goggles must be purchased separately.

Learning curve.

Drone racing is a real thing now. When I first heard of the sport, I pictured underground races in parking structures, with expert pilot Bow Wow teaching novice Lucas Black about drone drifting and the harsh realities of life. The truth is a little more banal, but still exciting—seasoned pilots fly tiny quadcopters through courses marked by flags and gates, competing for the best time. If that's an appealing proposition, consider the Horizon Hobby Blade Nano QX2 FPV BNF ($179.99) as a starter option. You'll need to buy a remote separately, but that will get you started flying, and you have the option of adding a headset to navigate the world from a first-person perspective.

DesignLet's make one thing clear: By our definition, the drones used in drone racing aren't drones. That may be confusing to the layman, but the reasoning is quite simple. Small quadcopters like the Nano QX2 don't feature any sort of automated flight, GPS stabilization, or return-to-home features. But the word drone is often used to describe any sort of remote control aircraft today, including those sanctioned for use by the International Drone Racing Association (IDRA).

The QX2 measures 2 by 5.1 by 5.1 inches (HWD) and weighs just 1.8 ounces—you don't need to register with the FAA to use this lightweight flyer. The tiny black aircraft has four downward-facing propellers, modest landing gear, and a front-mounted camera. It's powered by a tiny battery, about the size of a thumb drive, which can be recharged via an included USB charger. Depending on your flying style, you can expect to get five to eight minutes in the air between charges. If you get serious about racing, some spare batteries, just $12.99 each, are wise investments.

Parrot Bebop

Parrot Bebop Drone With Skycontroller

Elanview Cicada

A remote control is not included in the box, and you will need one to fly the quadcopter. Horizon lent us the Spektrum DXe Transmitter ($69.99), which is easy to pair with the QX2. It's a big remote—larger than the aircraft—and is powered by 4 AA batteries.

Optional, but also supplied as part of the review and recommended if you want to get the full first-person racing experience, is a headset. I gave the Fat Shark Teleporter VR ($229.99) a try. The goggles fit snugly and block out daylight with aplomb. An adjustable strap is there for comfort. If you wear glasses, you won't be able to wear them with the Teleporter over your eyes—the fit is much too tight.

The video feed is on the small side and underwhelming in sharpness, especially when compared with VR headsets that use smartphone displays like the Zeiss VR One , but it does show the feed from the QX2's camera with very little lag. One serious complaint about this particular set of goggles is that the charger for the external battery pack that provides power isn't included. And unfortunately, the Teleporter VR doesn't include the ability to record footage. If you want to capture video from your flights, you'll need to spend some more money on a headset with a microSD slot, like the Fat Shark Dominator HD V2 ($520). Don't expect stellar quality; the lens on the QX2 is really just to give you the ability to navigate. Larger drones, like the entry-level DJI Phantom 3 Standard ($499.00 at DJI) , are better options if you want to shoot aerial video.

Flight ExperienceWhen I first fired up the QX2 I had it set to Agility mode. I moved the left throttle control forward to take off and it shot up into the air and started moving forward and to the left. I quickly realized that I didn't have the skill to control the QX2 without some help.

Thank goodness for Beginner mode. I've flown plenty of larger drones, all of which offer GPS stabilization and automated flight features. Beginner mode doesn't stabilize the QX2 to the same extent, but it does keep it fairly steady in place upon initial takeoff, and kept me from getting in too much trouble.

I started flying without wearing the goggles in order to get a sense of how the QX2 handles. Even in Beginner mode, it's agile and extremely responsive. The left stick, the throttle control, isn't spring-loaded as it is with most drones. You'll want to push it slowly forward until you get to the desired altitude. After that, subtle, minute adjustments are required to keep the QX2 under control. You'll also want to be careful not to move the stick forward or back too much when using its left and right motion (which is spring-loaded) to turn the quad on its axis to redirect its nose to the left or right.

The right stick moves the aircraft forward, backward, left, and right in the air. The QX2 zips forward quickly. I started flying sans goggles, something I recommend to try first as it allows you to get a good handle on, well, how the QX2 handles. After getting into my comfort zone (and recharging the battery a few times—it took more than eight minutes of flying to get comfortable), I decided to give the goggles a try.

Flying with the headset on is an immersive experience. You've got no view of the outside world other than what the wide-angle camera in the nose of the QX2 sees. (If you're sensitive to motion sickness, it's recommended that you sit down while piloting.) I made more mistakes when flying FPV than I did when I was operating the QX2 by sight, but I also had more fun zipping through a backyard and over a field, making quick turns to avoid tractors and trees. If you have enough open space to fly safely, it's a worthwhile experience.

I did have a few crashes. I inadvertently brought the QX2 down from about 30 feet during one flight. I was trying to simply lower altitude, but managed to cut all power to the engines instead. The aircraft landed in soft grass with no damage.

My second crash was scarier. I flew too high while wearing the goggles, and was pretty close to a dense wooded area. I flipped the goggles up off my head to get an idea of just where the QX2 was in the sky, but the sun was directly in my eyes. I decided to bring it down, lest it drift too far into the trees—if that happened I'd never get it back. But it had already drifted above the forest. Thankfully it landed just off a walking path, in heavy underbrush. It was out of transmission range of the headset—when that happens you see only static—but I was able to walk down the path until the video feed came alive. I hit the throttle to power up the engines, and could hear them just a few feet off the path. Had it not been for the video transmission I never would have found it.

ConclusionsExperienced racer pilots will hopefully sympathize with my freshman mistakes in piloting the Horizon Hobby Blade Nano QX2 FPV BNF. But I do have to admit, it's a lot of fun to fly, regardless of skill level—or lack thereof. I'm not going to be racing on the IDRA circuit any time soon (or ever, really), but tooling around in the backyard with the QX2 is a fine way to whittle away a few hours on a weekend. The $180 price tag is a bit misleading for first-time buyers, as you have to buy a remote control at a minimum and FPV goggles if you want to get the full experience. Experienced racers likely already have both, and will find the Nano QX2 to be a more modest purchase.

About Jim Fisher

Jim Fisher is our lead analyst for cameras, drones, and digital imaging. He studied at RPI and worked on the retail side of the industry at B&H before landing at PCMag. He has a thing for old lenses, boneyards, and waterfowl. When he’s not out with his camera, Jim enjoys watching bad and good television, playing video games (poorly), and reading. You can find him on Instagram @jamespfisher

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